Canonical Developer Tries Running GOG Games On 64-Bit-Only Ubuntu 19.10 Setup

In response to the decision to drop 32-bit x86 support beginning in Ubuntu 19.10, Alan Pope of Canonical and longtime Ubuntu member decided to try running some GOG games under an Ubuntu 19.10 daily build that he configured to remove the 32-bit packages ahead of the actual removal. Unfortunately, his experience didn't go so smoothly.

While Valve has the resources to come up with an effective solution to bypass the Ubuntu archives doing away with 32-bit packages on Ubuntu 19.10, the smaller outfits like GOG may have a more difficult time especially with not being as centralized as Steam. Pains could be involved at least in the short-term for those wanting to enjoy their 32-bit-focused games on newer Ubuntu releases.

Alan Pope tested a few representative games of GOG today to see how they would work put with a 64-bit only Ubuntu 19.10. With three games they failed to install without Wine32 support, the GOG version of Braid meanwhile refused to launch after installation due to being 32-bit only, and two other games launched but with black window (this may be the result of using VirtualBox for testing).

Details on the attempted GOG gaming experience with a 64-bit-only Ubuntu 19.10 can be found via this post.

Assuming Canonical doesn't revert course or scale back their decision to offer at least the most popular 32-bit packages to remain, it could be pain in the short term particularly for gamers. For this "Eoan Ermine" release the feature freeze is already coming up in just two months from tomorrow, which further makes this week's announcement such a surprise to drop it mid-cycle.